Ode To Fangirlism
by BellaPerea
Summary: GaaSaku main; "What is Haruno Sakura doing in MY village, you ask? Flirting with MY Kazekage!" "Because, enemy interrogations are LOW, Panda." "but 'Cherry' is so fitting for you." 'Take her! NOW' 3-shot. POVs of Matsuri, Sakura & Gaara.
1. Matsuri

**A/N: I know I've been neglecting my other stories constantly. Still, I couldn't help but post part 1 of this three shot. This will most likely be followed by a oneshot for Vesper chan's contest. So if you guys LOVE NejiSaku (that means you SB01 :P), support me~! **

**Inner turmoil, homework and insomnia brought this to you. Remember all my hard work staring at the computer screen for 4 hours straight.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not a man. Just so you know. :| And just to point out, I like manly men. The guys in this (fucking good) manga have cried more than the girls. Even Kiba. Who I thought was the straightest of them all. **

**BEGIN STORY!**

Ode to Fangirlism

By Matsuri

--

Haruno Sakura—What the _hell_ is she doing here in Suna, you ask? Flirting with _MY Kazekage-sama, _that's what! About a month ago, the Hokage sent her over to teach the medics in our hospital, 'cause she was like, the best medic-nin in Konoha or something. They also mentioned something about jounin at 14. Well, _whatever, _'cause I'm his _assistant._ Yes, I'm that _really hot secretary_ you see in those sitcoms.

Ha! Haruno Sakura has _nothing _on me.

She came over with four shinobi (yes, FOUR! Is she that freaking important?) flanking her. She and the other two girls were glomped by Temari-sama, Gaara's (_my_ Gaara, bitch) older sister while the two guys were making light conversation with Kankuro-sama, Gaara's older brother.

The Subaku siblings came out to greet them, because Suna and Konoha were allies—very close allies, thus ambassadors and visitors from the opposite country are given the utmost respect.

The five Konoha-nin bowed to Gaara-sama all at the same time. "Gaara-sama," They greeted him, and he nodded in return.

"Well, we must be going, Kazekage-sama," The white-eyed (seriously, WTF?) dude said and started to turn away with the other guy and the two girls.

"But, Ino-chan, Hina-chan, Shikamaru-kuuun…" Temari-sama cooed, making the four Leaf-nin turn to face her. "Surely, you can't rest for one night? I mean, you've been traveling for_ever_. You need to rest, y'know. Ask the medic-nin."

"True…" The pink-haired whore agreed.

The two boys then sighed. "Fine," They said.

--

So those four Konoha shinobi stayed in the Kazekage Manor with the Sand sibs—IN THE MAIN HOUSE. How many people get to stay in the main house? _NO ONE_, except the Kazekage and his siblings can sleep in the main house. Heck, _I_—Gaara-sama's trusted assistant—have to sleep one of in the smaller houses! What the _heck_ is that?

So after those Leaf-nin left, Haruno Sakura still kept on sleeping in the main house. _Just to make sure_ that she doesn't do something _weird_ to Gaara-sama, I'll be hanging out late finishing some paperwork. – Insert evil laugh here –

"Matsuri-chan!"

I heard Temari-sama calling me. I don't know why, but she seems to call every female around her by 'chan'. Somehow, she is also the most dangerous of the Sand Siblings. No joke intended. Gaara-sama is kind now.

"Hai, Temari-sama?" I asked, looking up from the pile of papers that I placed on the dining table to make it look like I'm working. In front of me was Temari-sama with the pink-bitch (yes, that's her name) in hand.

"Saku-chan and I are going shopping, 'cause her clothes are too exposing for this place." She said, and pointed to the red marks on the pink-bitch's shoulders, making her look even more pink.

"I told you Tema-chan, I'm a medic. I can just heal my sunburn." She put her gloved hand on her shoulder and it started glowing green. If I didn't know any better (but I do, because I am an awesome kunoichi _and_ the Kazekage's assistant—so HA!), I would think she was radioactive or something. "See?"

Showoff.

"Saku-chan, I know you are _more_ than capable of healing yourself, but isn't it just _so _troublesome to keep on wasting you chakra healing yourself over and over again? After all, you need to conserve that chakra to teach the students in the hospital, am I right?" Temari-sama pointed out.

Pink-bitch slumped in defeat. _Ha!_ Pink-bitch got _PWND._

I plastered the fakest smile I could muster on my face, hoping pink-bitch would take a hint. "Oh cool! I would love to go shopping with you!"

This gives me more of a chance to see if she's aiming for my Gaara.

It was mid-afternoon when Temari-sama, pink-bitch and I left the Kazekage's Manor. Temari-sama took us to all those high-end shops, and the pink-bitch just kept on whining about how she didn't need this hospitality and how she hates shopping and such. Then she mumbled something about a pig. Like,_ WTH?_ I wanted to say that to her, but that would be disrespectful. Besides, if I did, Temari-sama would tell on me, and Gaara-sama would think badly of me.

So Temari-sama just dragged her along and took her to all the shinobi shops to get her some gear and clothes. At one point, Temari-sama put her in a bikini, and I saw that she was tall and slim. She had a flat stomach and curves in all the right places. She was, overall, pretty.

This is BAD!

I HAVE COMPETITION IN THE NICE BODY CATEGORY!

I mean, seriously, who else could look _this_ good in a mini-skirt? Pink-bitch wears black shorts and those pink flap thingies attached. Her vest was all bulky, and her shirt—BRIGHT RED—clashes with her hair! That reminds me, who else in the freaking _world_ has _**pink**_ hair?

After about 3 hours of shopping, Temari-sama got her tons of clothes, and she ended up in a white long-sleeved zip up mini-dress until the mid thigh, and the rest of the thigh was net. After that she had her black boots. Her neckline was low and off-shoulder, and her sleeveless net undershirt was high necked.

Ugly and sluttish, am I right?

--

The second week pink-bitch was here, she reported to Gaara while I was in his office, fixing some papers.

"Kazekage-sama, I just needed to drop off the report on how the medical students are doing." She said as she laid the stack of papers on the desk.

"Of course, Haruno." Gaara-sama said impassively, waving her off and spinning on his swivel chair.

Oh my god, whenever he did that, it made him look so hot and mysterious! I mean, don't you just love—

Oh, back to the story.

Anyways, while she was _finally_ leaving Gaara-sama and me alone again, he called her by her last name.

"Hai, Kazekage-sama?"

"You don't have to refer to me so formally. After all, a friend of Naruto's is my friend too." He said with a smile. A _smile_! Why did he _smile_ at _her_? And who was that Naruto guy again? Sounds familiar…

"But Gaara-kun, you don't have to go around calling me by my last name either." She _reprimanded_ the Kazekage, and in a _joking_ tone. She then laughed, as if she enjoyed laughing at the Kazekage. "Geez, I don't know how Naruto could cope with you. Then again, I don't understand how Naruto does anything…"

She mumbled the last part. Why does she keep on talking about this Fishcake dude? And who would be named after a food?

"Of course, Sakura." He chuckled.

"Panda, Panda, what am I to do with you?" Pink-bitch laughed—

Did she just call him Panda?

"Do not forget I am authorized to fire you." Gaara-sama retorted, and Pink-bitch left the room really quickly.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the spot she last stood on, until Gaara called for me.

"Organize the papers for the Konoha-Suna summit next month." He asked, then left the room for that meeting with the elders.

--

I was innocently doing some paperwork in the main house's kitchen when I heard some

--

I accompanied Gaara-sama to check in the hospital, where, coincidentally, pink-bitch assisted when she wasn't teaching on the weekends. I came with a clipboard and a pen, looking all professional and stuff. Surely, pink-bitch stumbling with a bunch of papers _can't_ compete with me.

But then, as she was about to humiliate herself by tripping on a nurse pushing a cart, an arm of sand caught her fall and the papers that were about to scatter along with her.

Guess who's arm of sand caught her.

"My bad Gaara-san. Sorry." She laughed, feeling around the floor and not making eye contact with anyone.

Gaara-sama's arm of sand held up a pair of red-framed glasses up to her face. "Looking for these?"

Pink-bitch was blind? Another point for me~

"Ah, thank you, Panda." She smiled, taking them from the sand.

"Your welcome, _Cherry_." He chuckled. _CHUCKLED._ How come he never does that with me? "Anyways, since when did you have glasses?"

"Enemy interrogation techniques are low. _REALLY LOW._ But I wear contacts most of the time._"_ She replied. "Thanks again, Gaara-kun." Pink-bitch said before getting her papers and leaving.

After she left I _swore_ I saw Gaara-sama _smirk._

--

The night of that Akatsuki attack, my Gaara-sama got hauled off as a dead body in a giant misshaped bird! My poor Gaara, off somewhere with some Akatsuki thugs! I was so shocked, I couldn't move. I nearly fainted if it weren't for the sound of explosions everywhere!

The whole time (except for when I was in shock) I was cheering for Gaara-sama the whole time, with Kankuro-sama. Temari-sama wasn't there, because she was in Konoha for a pre-summit meeting or something. Whatever it was, she and the pink-bitch were out of sight.

Ha! Take that, pinky. I'm cheering for my Kazekage while you are probably quivering in your Leaf-nin undies!

Anyways, here I am now, helping move the rubble of the first explosion at the village walls. The pink-bitch was in proximity again, healing the people _I_ dug up. That was until she passed out, and everyone went rushing to her.

"Haruno-sama! Haruno-sama!"

When did she become Haruno-_sama_?

"I-I'm fine." She stuttered, grabbing on to a shinobi's arm for support. "Just used my chakra, that's all."

"You need to rest now, Haruno-sama." The shinobi said.

"No, let me finish." She said, and rolled her arms up. She then bit her finger to draw out blood and drew all over her arms. She then did a summoning jutsu and out popped a…slug? EW!

"You summoned me, Sakura-sama?" The slug…thing said.

"Hai, Katsyuu. I need you to help heal these people. There are too many people for us to handle. Could you help out a bit? Use the rest of my chakra reserves if you have to." Pink-bitch replied.

She was going to _finish_ her _reserves?_ This wasn't even her village! Why would she do anything like that?

But before her little (showoff-y) jutsu could start, a team of jounin came running through carrying someone on a stretcher. He called out to Baki, who then summoned the pink-bitch. She went over and when she saw who was on the stretcher, she immediately ran back to her spot, consulted the slug-thing and led the group towards the hospital.

Who exactly was so important that the other medics couldn't handle?

--

A few hours later, majority of the victims have been healed, and we were all waiting for orders.

Pretty much anyone was in the assembly room, aside from those on guard duty. As most of mumbled conversations continued, Temari-sama and a bunch of other people burst through the back doors.

"BAKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" Temari-sama ran through the crowds and we all collectively 'huh?'-ed.

Baki-sama was strange. He has a piece of cloth covering half of his face, and the other half was painted in red. He came out of the room just as Temari-sama jumped to tackle him, and she started shaking the poor dude repeatedly.

"MY BROTHERS! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY POOR CAT-CHAN AND PANDA-CHAN??" She started running in circles while two Konoha shinobi came in from the door. Chiyo-baa-sama suddenly attacked the white-haired masked one, thinking he was the White Fang or whatever. Quite pathetic if you ask me.

"Temari…" Baki tried to say, but Temari-sama just kept on shaking him and crying.

"MY POOR BABY BROTHERS!! AFTER THEM, WHAT OTHER CHIBIS ARE WILLING TO TEST OUT MY COOKING? I CAN'T PUT SOME—"

"TEMARI, KANKURO IS FINE!!" Baki shouted back, grabbing Temari-sama by the shoulders. "STOP CRYING!!"

She sat up and pouted like a puppy and started wiping the tears off her face. "So he's fine?" She asked and Baki nodded. "Haruno-san saved him."

"HARUNO? YOU MEAN SAKURA-CHAN IS HERE?" The blonde guy named Naruto (yeah, I remember him now) suddenly jumped up and tackled Baki again. "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

Diplomats.

--

BAKI WOULDN'T LET ME FINDMY GAARA-SAMA!! MY POOR GAARA-SAMA, ROTTING IN SOME DANK CAVE WITH AKATSUKI!!

And guess who was sent to find him.

Pink-bitch somehow woke up from that 24-hour coma and was sent with her old team to find my poor Gaara-sama. How can she be trusted? I haven't even seen what she can do! Sure, she's a good medic-nin and all. But out on the field, what good is that?

I'm going to be busy sulking with Temari-sama.

--

THEY FOUND HIM!! THEY FOUND GAARA-SAMA!!

I can't help but dance for joy when Chiyo-baa-sama raised him! Plus, that old hag—

I mean, we shall miss you Chiyo-baa-sama.

Back to the story…

GAARA-SAMA IS ALIVE! He was able to stand and he told us to mourn for Chiyo-baa-sama! It's a miracle! He's healthy enough to give orders!

"Gaara-sama!" Another girl cried, jumping in front of me to get to Gaara-sama first.

I grabbed her vest to stop her. "MINE BITCH!" I cried, throwing her back. "Gaara-sama!!" I ran forward through the crowd only to see him…kissing…

It's unbelievable! Gaara-sama was kneeling on the ground, pink-bitch on his lap. He had his arms around her waist and her hand was in his hair. His soft, red hair…

THAT SHOULD BE ME! WHY IS SHE THERE ANYWAYS?

When they broke apart, they murmured quietly. So quiet, that I couldn't even hear. It was either that or because the other girls were crying to loud. I'm not sure, but the goddamn bitch _smiled_ when they whispered to each other, before punching _the Kazekage_ on the shoulder. She is so in for it now. Just look at Temari-sama's face! She's fuming!

"THANK YOU SAKU-CHAN!!"

_WHAT THE FUCK?_

Temari-sama was swinging pink-bitch around like a teddy bear happily. The reason why? I don't really know. She probably fucking lost her mind with Kankuro-sama as her brother (did you know, he has this weird thing for…oh never mind. This is a rated T story).

"KANKY-CHAN! YOU OWE ME TEN THOUSAND YEN!!" Temari-sama cried, pointing at Kankuro-sama.

"DAMN!"

"I'M GONNA GET A SISTER IN -LAW!!"

--

So this, dear readers, is where my tragic story ends. Everyday, I indulge myself in ice cream (low fat, some of us still have to keep our figure!) as I watch them play with their redhead son and their fuchsia (is it fuchsia? I can't tell) haired daughter. I watch her work in the Suna hospital in the daytime and come to the tower at night with their two kids to pick up 'daddy'.

Goodbye dear readers, hope you enjoyed my sorrowful recollection of how I lost Gaara-sama to that pink-haired bitch, Haruno Sakura.

--

**I love torturing characters I don't like. :))**

**Reviews are appreciated! :D**


	2. Gaara

**A/N: As you can see, I'm on an update frenzy. WHOO! Glad to have finally updated this. I wanted something sweet to write, and GaaSaku had given me the perfect opportunity, especially with a little angst somewhere thrown in there. Not to mention, some Shukaku! I love writing about inner demons. They're so...evil. :D **

**A bit of OOCness, but it's expected, since this _is_ FANFICTION. **

**So here's part two of the three-shot, _Ode to Fangirlism: Gaara's point of view_!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other characters of the series. If I did, I'd be stinkin' rich. **

* * *

_Gaara's POV_

It wasn't very long ago when Haruno Sakura walked into my life.

She was the jounin medic-nin assigned to help retrain the Suna medical forces, thanks to the suggestion of the Fifth Hokage. It was proven useful to have medics on every squad, lowering casualties and raising performance rates. For the well being of my village, I had agreed to it.

My siblings, Kankuro and Temari, welcomed her gladly, even asking her companions to stay over for the night and rest. I had the seven of them in my office the moment they arrived.

"Nice to see you again, Kazekage-sama," They each greeted as they walked through my door.

"So I'm guessing Haruno-san will be our guest for the next six months, am I right?" I asked, giving a small smirk to acknowledge that they were my friends. Naruto left several little notes around my compound last time he was here reminding me not to scare off friends, because they're 'awesome beyond comparison'.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama." The pink-haired medic answered.

I had met Haruno Sakura years ago. She was Naruto's teammate, but I never paid much mind to her. Of course, she helped in rescuing Matsuri, and by then she was under the Fifth Hokage's medical tutelage. Back then, her medical skills were nothing too flashy, but since she's now a jounin and was the recommendation for the medical course, she has become very, very noticeable.

_**'And she's pretty**_,' Said a voice in my head.

_'Not now, Shukaku.'_ I said, quieting it. I realized now, that regardless of how civil my inner demon has become over the past few years, he's still an animal, and animals are very, very...well, a common goal for all is to find a mate. And with an attractive female figure around the manor for an extended period of time...

_**'You just called her attractive.'**_Shukaku noted.

How awkward was this gonna be.

My older sister had to aggravate the situation more by taking her shopping. Sakura's new form of dress was very decent, yes, but I do believe my sister chose a more body hugging outfit for a reason. Luckily, she was very well covered, and my suspicions could wait after I settle another set of Kazekage duties.

~O~

"Kazekage-sama, I just needed to drop off the report on how the medical students are doing." Sakura said, entering my office.

"Of course, Haruno." I replied passively, my mind full of other things to do. My assistant, Matsuri, was practically useless. I couldn't fire her though, because her father is a very valuable philanthropist of the country.

I was shifting through a few other papers as she was about to leave. Just then, I found another of Naruto (or Temari's, but I can only assume) 'social tips' in the pile. "friends don't call each other by last names!" was scrawled out in messy handwriting.

"Ah...Haruno." I called out just as she was walking out the door.

_**'Making friends, I see.'**_

_'She's a valued member of the staff. And a friend of Naruto's.'_ I defended, not wanting to admit to Shukaku anything more.

"Hai, Kazekage-sama?" She addressed me formally.

"You don't have to refer to me so formally. After all, a friend of Naruto's is my friend too." I thought from the top of my head. She responded with a smile. It was pretty. I smiled back. Smiling is a sign of social graces.

"But Gaara-kun, you don't have to go around calling me by my last name either." She replied, calling me by _my_ first name. I guess it was expected. And she would put the '-kun' there before, since I'm friends with Naruto. Then became Kazekage.

"Of course, Sakura." I replied politely, adding a curt nod. I was slightly amused by her energy. Naruto had rubbed off a lot on her. And...her eyes. They're a startling emerald green. I don't think I've seen such amazing orbs before.

She then sighed. "Panda, Panda, what am I to do with you?"

Only two people have been allowed to call me that. Temari and...regretfully, Naruto.

(in return, I call him Fishcake.)

"Do not forget I am authorized to fire you." I replied with a serious tone, meaning to make a joke, but I think I scared her off. She stopped her pretty laughter and practically ran out the door.

_**'Looks like you gotta work on your social skills, kid.'**_

I sobered up from the strange state the conversation with Haruno Sakura put me in and straightened up. Regardless of how flustered I was earlier (I do admit now that she's really, really pretty), I'm still a kazekage, and I still have kazekage things to attend to.

_'Shukaku...is it proper for a kazekage to be...what's the word...dating?'_

_**'Yup, your social skills definitely need work.' **_

~O~

I made my monthly visit to the hospital. It's in my duty to check in once in a while, especially with the special lessons given to the medics.

Plus, Sakura was helping out there during the weekend.

I was accompanied by my assistant, Matsuri. Of course, I have to keep her there for formalities. And it would be strange to go to the hospital alone. It wouldn't look official.

We walked the halls. I visited a few patients—valued shinobi that got hurt during missions I assigned them. As kazakage, I sometimes feel guilty for the assignment in the first place. Was _this_ team appropriate for the mission? Were they prepared enough? Questions plague my mind about it often, but they just say that it's for the good of Suna.

The moment I removed myself from the room of an injured shinobi, a scattering of papers flew around the room, dropped by a certain owner of a chakra signature I was familiar with. I shifted my sand gourd to create an arm, catching the victim and the papers.

I set her down carefully. I knelt down beside her, helping her up.

"My bad, Gaara-kun. Sorry." She apologized, emerald eyes recognizing me. Somehow though, they were still not meeting my eyes. Was it humiliation?

No, Sakura wouldn't react like that.

Would she?

She then started feeling around the floor for something. A few feet away was a pair of red spectacles. I assumed the belonged to her, and picked it up.

"Looking for these?" I asked, offering them back to her.

"Ah, thank you, Panda." She accepted them gladly, slipping them on. She mumbled a few incoherent things to herself. She was talking to herself. Hmm.

She then recomposed herself and flashed me another of her wonderful smiles.

I felt myself melt.

"You're welcome..._Cherry._" I said, in payback for the nickname. I chuckled a bit until I saw her clearly confused. I caught myself, and inquired politely why she had glasses. She didn't seem to need them last time I saw her. But then again, that was two years ago.

She looked at me with a very serious expression. "Enemy interrogation techniques are low. _REALLY LOW_. But I wear contacts most of the time." She answered. Her stern emote faded, replaced by another of her smiles. "Thanks again, Gaara-kun."

She collected her papers and walked away. I was left there, wondering what had happened to her.

I smirked. However little information it was, Haruno Sakura had shared a bit of her history with me. By my standards, that was a lot. She _trusted_ me.

I realized then that I liked getting to know Haruno Sakura.

~O~

I got another chance when I retreated to the roof of the Kazekage mansion. It was almost sunset—signing off time for most people—and I decided that I've done enough paper work for the day. I escaped from my extremely pushy guardian (I'm only fifteen...and a half), Baki. Personally, I noticed that those papers weren't of immediate need, and could wait until tomorrow.

The rooftop of the mansion was circular and flat, and was railed all around to avoid any accidents. The good part is, it offers a 360-degree view of the village.

And the sunset is beautiful in Suna.

The moment I arrived on the roof though, the sunset was obsolete.

"Ah, Gaara-kun. I didn't know you come up here." Sakura said, startled when she saw me come through the door. She was sitting on an abandoned crate, looking to the west of the building, watching the sun go down.

"No worries. I wasn't aware that you were up here either." I replied, walking towards her. Then I froze. "Do you want me to leave?" I asked politely. Over the past few weeks, my presence hasn't become her favorite. I knew this much, and regardless of my want to get close to her, I didn't want to come off as pushy.

"Oh, of course not!" She said, extending an arm as if trying to stop me from turning around. She then moved towards the edge of the crate, and pat the space beside her, as if beckoning me to sit with her.

I gladly obliged.

We sat in silence for a while, before she started describing how beautiful the sunset was—the colors, the warmth. I couldn't help but listen to her. It didn't matter that she was blurting out absolute nonsense (Naruto was know for that too). Being two inches away from her was...intoxicating.

_**'TAKE HER! Take her NOW!'**_ Shukaku encouraged, obviously excited at my excitement.

I was going to take his advice...somewhat. But of course, I have too much respect to instantly _bed_ the girl.

See, this is where having an older sister with an obsession for black-and-white romance films comes advantageous.

"Cherry," I whispered, almost to myself.

She turned around to face me, halting her speech. There was a pinkish tint on her cheeks, and the way her lips were slightly parted meant she was flustered. She slowly regained herself, and her lips curved together in a smile. "Gaara-kun, are you trying to get back at me for calling you 'Panda'?"

I had to laugh at that. "Maybe...but 'Cherry' is so fitting for you." I suddenly realized that I had unconsciously reached to stroke her hair. I stopped myself, and looked away awkwardly. Bad move.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Um...anyways."

"Yeah..." I answered, unsure of what to say.

After another pregnant silence, she started talking.

"I haven't been getting much sleep." She stated, very out of the blue.

My head whipped around, somewhat in shock. She looked so healthy for someone not getting enough sleep. I had to wonder why.

"Why is that?" I questioned.

She sighed heavily, as if whatever was haunting her has been doing so for a while. "The mission that caused me to start wearing glasses...well, I woke up blind from it. And I'm scared to go to sleep and wake up not being able to see."

I could see the exhaustion in her face now. Though almost too light to be seen, there were dark circles under her eyes. She was pale. She was scared.

I felt like I've finally broken through a barrier. I've just learned her worst fear.

I'm not usually a sympathetic person, but to see her hurt...well, let's just say that she deserved sympathy from a fellow insomniac. I reached for her hand that was resting next to her and stroked it gently. She seemed surprised at first, but then relaxed in my hold.

"I know you can't sleep either." She then said.

"Yes." I simply stated. It was a truth I couldn't deny.

"I find it funny, actually. Naruto sleeps like a log, but you..." her voice trailed off as she studied my expression. "...you can't. At all."

I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Gaara-kun...what was the last time you slept peacefully?" She asked.

"I don't recall." I said.

Suddenly, I felt a small hand on my cheek. I then found myself staring at her eyes. They smiled at me.

"Next time, Gaara-kun," she started.

Before she could continue, I felt a disturbance in the village. Something powerful. Something that didn't belong.

"Gaara...?"

She felt it too. She _saw _it.

It was someone in a black and red cloak standing on a large, white bird. I didn't know who he was, but he wasn't from my village.

"Akatsuki..." Sakura identified him. "They wear those cloaks with the clouds."

I nodded, noting that they were after me. "I have to stop them, then."

She looked into my eyes, as if pleading me not to. But she knew that I had no choice. I'm the protector of this village after all.

My hand was still around hers as I stood up to leave. Before letting go of it, I planted a kiss on her knuckles. I then started to walk towards the door.

"Gaara-kun," Her voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Yes?"

"Make sure to come back alive." There was a hint of doubt in her voice, because she and I both knew full well that there was a chance that might not happen.

Her voice was the last thing I heard before blacking out.

_**'See you on the other side, kit.'**_

~O~

I knew that I was dead. I had accepted the darkness and the feeling of eternally falling. I told myself that this was what I've been expecting. Ironic, really. When my father was alive, he did everything to try and kill me. Now that he's dead, well, so am I.

I couldn't hear anything. Not even Shukaku. I figured that Akatsuki got him. At least I didn't have to spend eternity with him. In fact, I don't have to spend eternity with anyone.

Then it hit me: I was alone. _Again_. I didn't like the fact that I was never going to see my siblings again. I was never going to see Naruto again. I wasn't going to fulfill my promise to be a good Kazekage. I would never see Sakura again.

Sakura?

"Gaara!"

The distant cry wasn't Sakura. It was someone else. Naruto. Yeah, I remember. His voice changed a bit, but it's still him. I smiled. He can take care of everything from here, become Hokage, continue the peace...maybe even marry Sakura. Yeah, he could take care of her.

"Gaara!"

Naruto's voice got louder and clearer, as if I were approaching him. I looked down to my feet. They weren't moving. I wasn't moving. More like, I was suspended in nothingness.

"Gaara...please wake up."

I felt something fall on my face. Water. More specifically, a tear. Someone was crying for me? The voice wasn't Naruto's. It was feminine. It was _hers_.

"You promised to come back alive..." She said. "Please, don't let this be your first broken promise..."

_I'm sorry, Sakura._

"Please, wake up."

I wasn't all to sure what to expect when I opened my eyes. I didn't even _expect_ to open my eye to see light again. But there's the sun, brightening up Naruto's already golden hair.

I was slightly confused. I _knew_ Naruto would be there (and in all honesty, he looked very different), but where was she?

I pushed myself to sit up. Naruto supported me with an orange-clad arm, telling me that I shouldn't move around a lot. I looked up. Several of Suna's shinobi standing around a clearing, along with a few members of Konoha Twelve.

Naruto gave me a sober smile, then looked in another direction. I followed his gaze to see Elder Chiyo, unconscious in Sakura's arms.

_Sakura_. I tried to say, but my throat was so dry.

She met my gaze with wet eyes. "It was all her." She said, looking back down at the older woman.

A subordinate of mine got Chiyo from Sakura's arms. Struggling to do so. She wouldn't let anyone see, but rivers practically flowed out of her eyes.

The second Chiyo was out of her arms, I reached out for her. She saw me, a gave a relieved smile. She let my wipe away the tears from her cheeks. She knelt closer, placing her forehead on mine. I felt her lean into my palm, letting her relax into me. Her arms were on my shoulders as if she were supporting herself.

"Don't ever do that again," She told me in a hushed voice. I could see in her eyes the panic she held a while before.

I felt myself smile. She gave a tired one back. I then realized her clothes were ripped in certain areas. There was a large rip across her abdomen, the white fabric and underlying mesh stained a deep red. I traced the cloth, but saw no wound.

"You got hurt," I noticed.

My eyes went back to her face as she spoke. "We all tried our best to get you back," she explained. "The Akatsuki got a lucky shot." She joked. "Besides, you shouldn't worry. You're the one that died!"

I almost completely ignored her outburst, until it struck me that I had died. I _was_ dead. "But you got hurt. I'm never going to let that happen. _Ever_."

And then, I kissed her.

So to say, my siblings had been betting. I heard Temari victoriously announce having a sister-in law, and that Kankuro owed her ten thousand yen. She wrapped her arms around both of us, putting us in a chokehold grip. Once she let go, I turned to Naruto. He gave me a pat on the back, and told me to take care of Sakura.

From that day on, I definitely did.

She would go back and forth between Suna and Konoha, as my sister did (since she was dating that Shikamaru guy). Temari and Shikamaru got married three years later, the day after Shikamaru's eighteenth birthday. They now reside in Konoha, and Temari is our ambassador.

Since it's said to be unlucky for siblings to get married in the same year, Sakura and I waiting until we were nineteen. Then the wedding party was crashed by rogue nin, so we pushed it back another year, for safety precautions. We were absolutely fine with that, since we weren't into fancy ceremonies.

April 28th, the month after Sakura turned 20, we got married.

And here we are, six years later, absolutely happy. We have a five-year old troublemaking son named Sora and a shy little girl by the name of Aiko, age three. They're often visited by Temari's equally troublemaking five-year old, Toru. Luckily, Toru has a more sober twin sister who takes after her father, named Karura, after our mother. She has turned out to be a better influence over her cousins. Sora and Toru are also very good friends with Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata's eldest daughter, Hikari, age four. Sora even admitted having a crush on her, an issue I left to his mother.

Sakura is balances being a doting mother, the head of the hospital and occasionally a field medic-nin. As much as I tried, I couldn't stop her from doing so. I promised her that she'd never get hurt again, but of course, she wanted to be out there, saving lives. I let her, as long as she came back to me. She always reassured this fact, saying that I'm her one and only _Panda-kun. _

And me? I'm still a bit cynical and stoic, but I've lightened up after my so-called resurrection. Regardless of these facts, I'm probably the happiest Kazekage to ever exist.

Hell, I'm probably the happiest man to ever exist.

* * *

**A/N: ISN'T THIS JUST PRECIOUS? Okay, it's a bit OOC. I _know_. THAT'S THE POINT.I'm absolutely doubting the sweety cheesy scenes. BLEH. But I got my point across, and my narration ain't that bad. Personally, I like the way I depicted the feeling of death. **

**THIS COLD IS MAKING MY WANGSTY. D:**

**Anyways, I'm currently self-exiled to the bed. I had cousins visit us, and we went out _everyday of the week_ to show them around the city. I feel absolutely exhausted. My body's currently shutting down, and I'm a bit dizzy from the medicine. A review would be nice. :D**

**Up next would be Sakura's POV of the whole situation! And if you thought Gaara's was long (*snicker snicker*), Sakura's POV has her conscious and present throughout the WHOLE dilemma. I have personally taken up my OWN challenge to write this. **

**GAME FACE ON.**

**'til next time! **

**~Bella**


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